“Our flight envelope expansion efforts remain on track, and we continue to make good progress toward our initial operational test assessment later this year, and ultimately full aircraft system qualification.”

Under Sikorsky’s lift extension project for the King Stallion, both test aircraft will be shown lifting greater external loads– from an initial payload of 12,000 lb hovering, up to 27,000 lb at speeds of 120kts.

The King Stallion is designed to replace the US Marine Corps’ CH-53 Super Stallion helicopters and the Department of Defense plans call for procurement of 200.

The CH-53K King Stallion is equipped with single, dual and triple external cargo hook capability, allowing for three different external loads to be delivered to separate landing zones. The external cargo hooks include a center hook with a 36,000-lb capability and dual-point hooks each capable of carrying up to 25,200 lb.